


The Nineteenth Time

by canadiankazz



Series: Times Jasper Fed from Annabelle [19]
Category: Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Masquerade - L.A. By Night (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Porn, Arguments, Blood Drinking, F/M, Porn with Feelings, Vampire Sex, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-10 05:34:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18653950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadiankazz/pseuds/canadiankazz
Summary: Victor and Nelli find out about Jasper and Annabelle's relationship. They don't react well. Is this enough to break the coterie apart?This fic is part of an AU series where Jasper has been feeding from Annabelle and they now have a Blood Bond and a slow burn romantic relationship. It's worth reading the rest of the "Feeds From" series before this part for proper context and build up of Jasper and Annabelle's relationship. This fic is set during the Season 2 Epilogues.This fic is 2 chapters long.





	1. Truth

**Author's Note:**

> I knew something like this was coming from the very beginning, and I wrote and re-wrote their argument in my mind many, many times in my head before typing anything.
> 
> I lay no claim to any of the characters involved. The only profit I receive is the occasional kudos and positive comment.
> 
> Special thanks, as always, to L and M for the encouragement, story advice and editing help. Thanks also to my lovely readers for any and all feedback, kudos, comments, etc. Enjoy the angst!

It was a few nights since the earthquake and Annabelle only slept well when she shared a bed with Jasper. She tried once to sleep away from him and was plagued with such awful nightmares of being trapped, alone and in pain with his body fried to a crisp just out of her reach that it took her almost an hour to calm down after waking. When she woke up next to Jasper though, or even better, in his arms or him in hers, her bad dreams seemed far weaker.

Annabelle nuzzled in close to Jasper early one evening. Neither of them wanted to get up yet.

“Have you had any bad dreams about the earthquake?” she asked him.

“Yeah,” he admitted.

She sighed. “I hope they go away soon.”

“Me too.”

Annabelle's burner phone buzzed. She tried to reach for it, but Jasper wrapped an arm around her and held her close.

“Jasper...” she poked him.

“Mmm...” he grunted.

“I have to get my phone.”

“Do you?” he grinned, teasing her.

“Yes.” She reached for it again, but it was out of reach. “Don't be a pest,” she scolded him.

Jasper grumbled and let her go. He rolled over in bed so he was facing away from her as she sat up and checked the message.

“Uh-oh,” she said.

Jasper glanced back at her. “What's wrong?”

“Victor and Nelli want me to see them at the club tonight... they are worried and want to talk to me about something.”

Jasper frowned. “Hmm.”

“I think... they might have worked out you and I are... a thing. Right after the earthquake, there might have been a few... hints.”

Jasper growled, his eyes narrowing in displeasure.

“I can't _not_ see them. Jasper... this might be it,” Annabelle said anxiously.

He sighed and rolled back over to face her. He sat up and she hugged him, still clutching her phone.

“It will be okay,” he said.

“I hope so.”

* * *

Annabelle felt like she had been called to the principal's office. She went with dread and anxiety to Club Maharahni. Victor and Nelli greeted her there and they all took a seat in Nelli's office.

“We're just a little bit worried about you,” Victor said in a gentle voice that was heavy with parental concern.

“I'm fine,” Annabelle said. She was defensive, but trying to play it light. “I mean, I've had a few nightmares since the earthquake, but who hasn't?”

“We're not talking about that, we're talking about... you and Jasper.”

Annabelle swallowed. “What about us?”

“Did he feed from you after the earthquake?”

Annabelle looked down. This was it. This was the moment she and Jasper had been dreading. She could lie, and tell them that no, he hadn't... but Victor and Nelli would be able to see through that.

“Yes,” she said, and before either of them could react, she continued “but it's okay!”

Nelli and Victor shared a look with each other, both having their doubts and concerns.

“It might be okay to do something like that once,” Victor told Annabelle, “but then you've got to worry about things like Blood Bonds.”

“Yeah,” Annabelle said, being deliberately ambiguous, trying to delay them finding out the truth.

Victor frowned. “Do you know what a Blood Bond is?”

“Yeah, when... one vampire drinks blood from another,” Annabelle mumbled.

“Right,” Victor said. “So... wait.” Maybe he had some kind of left over parental bullshit radar, or maybe it was Annabelle struggling with her poker face, but something was telling him that there were some rather important things being unsaid. “Did Jasper tell you about that?”

Annabelle nodded.

“Did he tell you about that after the earthquake?”

She shook her head.

“Annabelle,” Nelli said, “did Jasper hurt you?”

“What?” Annabelle looked at her, shocked that such a thing could ever be suggested. “No! He's never hurt me!”

Nelli studied Annabelle's face critically. “Hmm... hold on a second.” She concentrated, rousing her blood.

“What are you doing?” Annabelle asked.

“I'm turning on Sense the Unseen,” she said. Nelli blinked, then hissed in sudden anger as her Beast over-reacted to what she saw.

Jasper had been there, standing still and invisible, listening and watching behind Annabelle's right shoulder the entire time.

Nelli was fast. In half a second, she was on her feet and had her long blade out. It was the one given to her by Abrams, the one she had used to kill Nick with. She pointed it at Jasper's throat. Annabelle gasped, flinching and ducking away, thinking for a moment that Nelli was attacking her. Nelli glared at Jasper.

“Show yourself!” she hissed. “And hands where I can see them!”

Annabelle's heart would have pounded out of her chest if it were beating right now. She had faintly hoped that Victor and Nelli might find out the truth, and that they would be okay with it, but everything seemed to be spiralling very quickly out of control. Jasper materialised, his hands in the air. Nelli's blade was poking his Adam's apple. He was staying perfectly still, but glaring daggers at Nelli with equal venomousness as she was glaring at him.

“Woah, okay...” Victor said, also rising to his feet and trying to gain back some control of the situation. He sounded like he was starting to raise his temper. “Can someone please tell me what the _hell_ is going on here?” He looked at each of them in turn before settling on Annabelle, who looked extremely guilty. “Annabelle?”

“The...um...” Annabelle started to explain, but she couldn't. Not while Nelli had a blade pointed threateningly at Jasper's throat. She also stood up. “Nelli, please, stop! Put that down!”

“I will do no such thing, Annabelle,” she said tightly, not looking at her. She was keeping her eyes on Jasper.

“Don't you trust me?” Jasper growled to Nelli.

“Not completely, no,” she said honestly. “So, go on, Annabelle. Tell us what's going on.”

Annabelle was starting to shake. She clenched her fists. “The earthquake... wasn't the first time Jasper's fed from me.” She looked apologetically at Jasper. “I'm sorry,” she said to him.

“What do you mean?” Victor said slowly. “How many times has he fed from you?”

Annabelle had lost count. “Um... many.”

“'Many'?” Victor chuckled in disbelief. “How long has this been going on?”

“I don't know...” In her stress, Annabelle couldn’t remember. She looked to Jasper again.

He was still glaring at Nelli and quietly making calculations. He knew approximately how fast she was, and he had seen her with this blade before. Were his own skills better than her in a fight like this? He was stronger than her, but she was faster than him. She was a glass canon. He could kill or incapacitate her in one hit, assuming he survived her strike to him first, but she was currently at the advantage. He could feel Annabelle's fear and anger at the situation and her sense of betrayal at Nelli’s actions. Jasper had always known Victor and Nelli might react like this. He had none of Annabelle's optimism. Feeling the anxiety of Annabelle’s blood was making him angry. He didn't get along with Nelli at the best of times, but he had never seriously thought about killing her without his Beast rattling the bars first. Now though, he probably would have in self-defense, if nothing else.

“Since last November,” Jasper said, answering the question.

“ _That long_?” Victor asked, outraged.

Annabelle nodded. “Yeah, but he's never, _ever_ hurt me! You have to believe me! It's only ever been consensual!” She looked at Nelli, pleading. “Nelli, look at me, please.”

“I can't, Annabelle,” she said in a low, threatening voice. “I'm not going to give him a chance to disappear.”

“He won't,” Annabelle argued. She looked at Jasper. “Don't disappear, please?”

He growled softly, his blood taking that as a direct order.

Annabelle activated Awe to help pull Nelli's intense, angry gaze away from Jasper. “Nelli, please, listen to me. Put the knife down.”

Nelli looked at her, but didn't lower her blade.

“He's never, ever hurt me,” Annabelle said again earnestly. “Every drop I've given, I gave willingly. No mind tricks! Honestly!”

“Of course he's hurt you, Annabelle!” Nelli argued. “Every time he's fed from you, he's hurting you!”

“But I've allowed it!” Annabelle was trying very hard not to shout. Shouting would not help. “I asked him to do it!”

“Why?”

“Why? Because he was starving! Because I care about him! Because he couldn’t ask for consent from anyone before now! You two never thought about that, huh?”

“Hey, he's always been welcome to feed from my herd of guys,” Victor said. He was also looking at her now and not Jasper.

“But you know he doesn't feed from people like that! You always kind of ask about it, Victor, but you never follow up. The one time you respect his privacy... you never wondered, all this time?”

“Of course I wondered, and of course I care!” Victor said, his voice rising. “Why is it everyone gets mad when I know private things, and then equally mad when I don't?”

“Okay... okay, fine,” Annabelle said. She took a deep breath. “We all need to calm down a little bit, here. Look... I'm sorry we didn't tell either of you. I wanted to, but Jasper thought you'd... react badly,” she shot a look at Nelli, “and it looks like he was right. Nelli, put the knife _down_ , please?”

Nelli hesitated. Annabelle could feel her anger rising. She had asked nicely. Her loved one was at risk. “Nelli...” she said, warningly.

Nelli's wrist moved, nicking Jasper's skin just slightly, making a faint line of red appear. He bared his fangs silently in pain.

Annabelle saw red. She grabbed Nelli's slim wrist. “Nelli, if you don't drop the knife, I will hurt you. Please don't make me hurt you.”

Nelli glared at Annabelle, feeling betrayed and angry for a second, but then she seemed to come back to herself a little bit. She sighed and pulled out of Annabelle's grasp and lowered the knife. She did not put it away.

“Thank you,” Annabelle said tightly, further upset that all this had some down to threats and violence when it absolutely did not have to. She stepped between Jasper and the others, defensive and protective. Jasper was much taller than her, but that didn't matter. “Now, if we can talk about this like _adults_ and not like... I don't know... violent children, I think we'd all appreciate that.”

Victor looked thunderous, but gestured to them both. “Yes, go on. Explain, Annabelle, Jasper.”

Annabelle took a deep breath. She reached back behind herself with her right hand, slowly, and felt for Jasper. He took her hand in his.

“Jasper and I have been seeing each other for months now, yes. We had to keep it from you for... obvious reasons. We were worried that you'd freak out. He's been feeding from me, but only ever with my consent. Yes, we are very careful. Our relationship is built on _trust_.” Annabelle swallowed again with emotion. She willed her voice not to crack. “I trust him not to hurt me, and the actual biting doesn’t count. In return... he trusts me with...” Annabelle faltered as tears started to well up.

“I trust her not to be stupid with our Blood Bond,” Jasper added. “You two know Annabelle. What's the worst she would ask me to do? You might have noticed... she asked me to stay and I have, but in other circumstances, not only would I be gone, but neither of you would work with or see me ever again.”

Nelli scoffed.

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to put everything together. “Okay, so... just to be clear... you two have a Blood Bond.”

Annabelle nodded, wiping her eyes.

“And you two trust each other with it. No mind tricks, nothing?”

They both nodded.

“Completely consensual?” Victor asked. “You don't lock her up in the cage or anything?”

Jasper grinned. “Not yet, I haven't.”

“Yes, it's consensual,” Annabelle insisted, giving a glare up at Jasper for that last comment. “I know what I'm getting into. I know what I'm doing, he knows what he's doing. It's... it's fine.”

“It's _not_ fine though, Annabelle,” Nelli said. She sounded almost like she was about to cry too. “He could kill you every time he bites you!”

“I know,” Annabelle said. “That's where the trust comes in.”

“Also... Annabelle is very capable of defending herself,” Jasper added, remembering a small Frenzy he had accidentally triggered in her once that had resulted in him getting a black eye and cracked bones.

Annabelle nodded, also remembering that night. Neither of them wanted to go into great detail.

“So... what do you get out of it?” Victor asked Annabelle.

“I get... lots of things,” she answered carefully. “We hang out, he lets me sleep over...”

“‘Sleep over?’” Victor asked, in the tone of a parent worried for their teenager. “At his place?”

Annabelle nodded. Jasper's grip on her hand tightened with each detail of information that got out.

Victor sighed heavily. “What else? Be honest now.”

“I taught him Blush of Life,” Annabelle said. As soon as those words were were out of her mouth, she knew she shouldn't have said them.

Victor looked confused, but Nelli had put together what that meant and she was starting to turn green with revulsion. Jasper grinned trollishly at her. Maybe everything was worth it just to see that particular expression on Nelli's lovely face.

“Okay... so he knows Blush of Life. We all know it. So what?” Victor asked.

Annabelle opened her mouth, but Jasper spoke up before she could say anything. He was still grinning at Nelli as she frowned in deep disgust. “Are you _picturing_ it, Nelli?” he asked her. “Does it make your Toreador blood _boil_ to think of what a Nosferatu might use Blush of Life for, or is it just that you personally don't like the thought of me getting laid? Which is it? I can't tell.”

“Ugh!” Nelli exclaimed loudly.

The penny dropped for Victor. “Oh! _Ugh_ , oh, God!”

Annabelle's jaw clenched again. Anger burned in her eyes at their reactions. “Oh, grow up!” she growled. “Both of you! What two consenting adults do in private is none of your business! You two... you make me sick sometimes.”

“But Annabelle-” Nelli began, but Annabelle had had enough.

“No! Nelli, Victor, you don't get to say in what we do or don't do! You're not our parents! We aren't breaking the Masquerade! We aren't hurting anybody! We don't even do it in The Valley, for crying out loud!”

“But if he kills you-” Nelli began again.

“If I Diablerize her, you won't have to worry about me,” Jasper said. “If I kill her, I'll walk into the dawn myself.”

Annabelle blinked at him. They all did. That was a hell of a statement to make, and Jasper had said it with honest seriousness.

There was a beat or two of silence before Victor sighed, breaking the tension. “You do have a point. You are adults. You know the consequences of not being safe. I...” he shrugged and sighed again. “I think we might need to go away and think, clear our heads, and talk about it more later.”

Nelli still looked furious and ill. Jasper continued to stare at her, daring her to try or say anything.

“Let's come back tomorrow and we'll talk about this, calmly, like adults,” Victor suggested.

Annabelle nodded. She was still fighting back angry tears. “Fine.”

Victor looked to Nelli. “Nelli?”

“Fine,” she said tightly.

They all looked to Jasper. He shrugged. “Only of Nelli is unarmed.”

Nelli looked outraged again. “But-!”

“That's probably fair,” Victor said. “No weapons tomorrow, from _anybody_. Only calm discussion.”

“Fine,” Jasper said.

Nelli looked like she was going to say something, but a glare from Victor made her close her mouth. “Okay then,” he said to the group. “Tomorrow night, with chill heads, like adults.”

Annabelle and Jasper departed from the club. She managed to hold back the tears until they were all the way back at his sanctum.

* * *

Jasper sat with Annabelle on his bed – _their_ bed. After all, he had gotten it to share with her. She clung to him, a tissue to her face to catch the blood tears, and sobbed openly. Jasper stroked her back, his blood pulling and aching for her. The room was lit with their battery-operated tea light candles.

“Shh...” Jasper said softly. “Shh... it's okay.”

“I can't _believe_ she pointed a _knife_ at your throat!” Annabelle raged between sobs.

Jasper hadn't been expecting that either. “I knew she'd be upset, but that was rather extreme.”

Anything else Annabelle said was lost in her crying. Jasper rubbed her back, waiting for her to stop and trying to ignore the smell of fresh Vitae.

It took several long minutes for her crying to cease. Annabelle was emotionally exhausted. She curled on the bed, her feet tucked under herself, and rested her head in Jasper's lap. He stroked her hair, enjoying the contrast between the short hair on her undercut and the long hair on the other side. She clutched the bloody tissue in her fist, dabbing at her eyes occasionally.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, her voice hoarse from crying. “Did she cut you?”

“I'm fine,” he assured her.

Annabelle sat up and examined his neck. She put a thumb gently to his jaw to make him tilt his head to she could see it better. Nelli's knife was wicked sharp. There was a neat, straight line of red over the contrasting black and white of Jasper's skin.

“I'm _so_ mad at them,” she mumbled.

“Well...” Jasper sighed. “We knew they'd react badly.”

“I didn't think they'd be happy, but... a _knife_? Really?”

“Nelli is very protective of you,” Jasper grinned. “She's your vampire mom.”

“Still...” Annabelle sniffled. “I'm going to get her to apologise for that.”

Jasper smiled. Annabelle kissed him gently. He returned it, feeling rebellious.

“Hey,” he said, pulling back a little. “They know now. We don't have to keep it secret from them any more. You like that, right?”

“Yeah, but... it doesn't make me feel as relieved as I thought it would.”

Jasper hugged her and Annabelle settled her head back down into his lap. His long fingers continued to play gently with her hair.

They were quiet for a minute. Everything was churning over in Annabelle's mind. “Would you really... walk into the dawn if you ever...?”

“If I killed you? Yes, I would,” he said softly, truthfully.

Annabelle swallowed. She took his hand and held it tightly, close to her face. “Please, don't,” she said very quietly.

“It won't come to that. We won't let it come to that,” he assured her. “Don't worry about it.”

“Can we just... relax?” Annabelle said. “God... I feel so wiped out.”

“Yeah.”

Annabelle took off her shoes and leather jacket and curled up on her usual side of the bed. He turned on some more of their battery candles and lay down next to her. She snuggled in close to him, face-to-face. Jasper continued to stroke her back. She touched her thumb gently to the tiny wound on his neck. He growled softly, and she felt the vibration of it. She watched as the little wound sealed itself until it was completely gone, as if it was never there. Annabelle stroked the spot again and leaned in to kiss it. Jasper all but purred, nuzzling her.

The nuzzles turned into more kisses, careful not to cut each other of their fangs, but otherwise deep and passionate. Annabelle didn't care about his dry skin, black veins, exaggerated fangs, or any of the other Nosferatu ugliness he had. She didn't care that Victor and Nelli thought that what they were doing was gross to the point of being nauseating. Her inner rebel called out and she felt the need to shout out loud and proud from the rooftops that yes, she and Jasper were dating and there was nothing anyone could do about it! Of course, she would do no such thing, but that inner passion and rebellion burned in her blood and drove her actions.

Annabelle sat up and stripped off her shirt. The threw it carelessly across the room. Jasper watched her as she started to undo his hoodie. He made no move to stop her. He could feel what she was feeling, and he agreed. He had never been one to shout anything from the rooftops, although he had spent a fair amount of time spying on people from them. A quiet rebellion was right up his alley though. He could feel the heat in Annabelle's blood as if it were his own. Wordlessly, he helped her remove his clothes.

Annabelle activated Blush of Life. She started to breathe hard and her hands got warm. She bit back another sniffle as Jasper's bare torso was exposed. She was still so angry... too angry.

Jasper noticed and sat up. He embraced her, stroking her back again, more skin-on skin with both of their shirts off.

“It's okay, Annabelle,” he said in her ear. “It'll be alright.”

“Loving someone in this context shouldn’t be a crime!”

“You're right. It shouldn't... and it technically isn't. It's more... a cultural taboo.”

“They don't have any authority over us,” Annabelle grumbled.

“No, they don't. And they know that. They're just protective of you.” He stroked her spine from the waistband of her jeans up to the back strap of her bra and back down again. Up and down. Up and down.

“They thought you would hurt me. You'd never.”

“I could though. That’s what they’re worried about. They know the Beast. They've lost control themselves more than once while feeding. We've seen it happen. It's... a thing that _can_ happen. You know that. You trust me not to lose control, and so far, I haven't.”

Annabelle kissed his shoulder. “I trust you.”

“I know, and I appreciate it, and I also trust you with my... leash, as it were.”

Annabelle nodded, her heart swelling with love and affection.

Jasper thought it was time to get Annabelle's thoughts away from the topic of the earlier argument for right now. He unhooked Annabelle's bra and gently removed it. “You know...” he said as he set it aside. “You technically don't need one of these any more. I'm not just saying that because I like the thought of you not wearing one. Your body is never going to age or change from what it is now. You're never going to... droop, beyond what you already do naturally.” He gave her a smile.

Annabelle's cheeks turned pink. “I know, but... I think I'll still wear one for a little while. They make me feel... human.”

“I understand,” Jasper said. He gently began to massage her breasts. He knew just how to distract Annabelle's mind from bad emotions for a little while.

Annabelle flinched, getting goosebumps. “Your hands are cold,” she scolded.

“Sorry,” he muttered, and activated Blush of Life. His Beast clawed at his throat and he gritted his teeth. _Patience_ . He would feed tonight, that was almost a given at this point. Annabelle was warm and willing in his hands. It sometimes seemed like she wanted to be fed upon almost as much as he wanted to feed. _Patience. Soon._

“Mmm... that's better,” Annabelle sighed as Jasper's hands slowly warmed up. “I love your hands.”

He smirked at that. “I love feeling you.” He was going deliberately slow and gentle. He loved hot, angry, riled-up Annabelle, and he normally would be all for rough, brutal sex with her, but he didn't want to tempt her Brujah blood into violence. She had been wound up enough tonight as it was. He wanted to relax her for the moment. They had time to go a little slow tonight, to enjoy each other. They could be rough again later. It was a guarantee, given their history.

He teased her chest slowly for several minutes, rubbing, massaging, playing with her dark nipples, making her sigh softly in pleasure. Annabelle shifted, feeling increasingly too tight in her jeans. She stroked Jasper's crotch and he grunted softly as she found his erection. They both had the same idea at the same time, and quickly rose to finish disrobing. Denim was kicked or tossed away, along with underpants.

Jasper let himself admire Annabelle's nakedness for a few seconds before his hand wandered down between her legs. She was slightly slick, and moaned softly as he touched her. She was kneeling on the bed, and parted her legs a little to give him access.

“I remember when you didn't even want to take off your hoodie around me...” Annabelle said in a low, soft voice. She was getting breathy with arousal. “We've come so far...”

“We have,” Jasper acknowledged. He slipped a finger inside her to the first knuckle and Annabelle moaned. “Thank you.”

“Mmm?” Annabelle tried to focus as he moved his finger inside of her. “What for?”

“I thought that doing things this... like every other good part of my old life... was gone when I died. You've proven that not to be the case. Without you, I would have never dared try anything... romantic, shall we say?”

Annabelle smiled. “I've... ah... I've seen you be romantic when it didn't involve me.”

Jasper liked it when Annabelle had trouble speaking while he rubbed her. “Oh, yeah? When?”

“Eva... gave you flowers...”

“Eva gave _everyone_ flowers,” Jasper reminded her. He pulled his finger out and started to slowly tease her clitoris. “And besides... that was a gesture from her, not from me.”

“Ah... but you got... the red rose... that _means_ something, Jasper...”

He still had that rose. He had pressed and preserved it. “It means a lot of things, not just romantic love.”

“Yeah, right... that's the first thing everyone thought were all the other meanings other than... _mmm_... oh, right there...”

Jasper rubbed her slowly at the spot she requested for a second or two, then moved away from it. Annabelle whimpered.

“Shh... there's lots of time,” he said quietly, with a little smirk. “No rush.”

Annabelle smiled and leaned in to kiss him. It was a long and sweet kiss.

“Anyways...” Annabelle breathed as she pulled back a little. “We all know Eva likes you.”

“True, but not like this she doesn't,” Jasper said, sliding his finger into Annabelle's slick vagina again, a little deeper this time. He moved it in an out, then added a second finger. Annabelle moaned loudly, her hips starting to twitch. “I don't do these kind of things to her.”

"Mmm... God... I want you inside of me...” Annabelle whimpered softly.

“I am inside you,” Jasper smirked.

Annabelle gave him a half-hearted glare. “I mean with _this_ ,” she wrapped both her hands around his hard cock and started to stroke and pull on him.

Jasper let out a low snarl of pleasure as his penis twitched in her hands. He pressed the palm of his hand flat against Annabelle's clitoris, letting the movements of his hand stimulate her as he gently fingered her.

“Nelli... doesn’t know what... she's missing out on...” Annabelle said between small gasps.

“And she never will,” Jasper growled.

“You'd never fuck her?”

He laughed out loud, the sound tinged with a lustful growl. “Hell no! She is a hundred percent _not_ my type, not in this life or the last.”

“Would you fuck any Toreador?” Annabelle asked, continuing to stroke him slowly up and down. He started to move his fingers inside her in time to her hands on his cock. She was starting to feel almost electric with arousal.

“If one... was willing to... and I trusted them like I trust you without any mind control... I'd think about it,” he said with a slight grunt.

Annabelle smiled. “I'd fuck one if the opportunity came up.”

“Well... they are the sexy ones, stereotypically. ”

“Would you be jealous if I did?”

Jasper bared his fangs and ran his tongue over them. “I might be.”

“Would you have angry sex with me afterwards?”

“I might do.”

“Mmm...” Annabelle sighed, not seeing a downside to this hypothetical scenario. She scooted a little closer to him, almost into his lap. His fingers were good, but she wanted something much deeper. “Cross your legs,” she said softly.

He did so, tucking his feet neatly under himself. He withdrew his fingers from inside her as she climbed into his lap. Jasper held onto Annabelle's back and nuzzled her neck and shoulder, now that she was close enough again to do so. He could feel her pulse. Hell, he could almost taste it already. He growled with lust and hunger.

Annabelle ground and rubbed herself against him, her legs wrapping around him. Her core ached to be filled again. The base of his cock was against her clit as his length was trapped between their bodies. Both of them were breathing hard.

“You hungry?” she breathed. Annabelle knew that particular tone in his growl.

“Yes,” he said, making her shiver.

“Bite me as we make love,” she requested softly. Annabelle lifted and adjusted herself and guided his cock inside her. They both groaned as she slid down him all the way to the base. He was deep, and it was good. It was what they both wanted and needed right then.

Annabelle's hips started to move, rocking and grinding slowly against him. They both gasped and moaned, pressed together chest-to-chest. Jasper nuzzled her neck on her undercut side, kissing and nipping lightly at her skin.

“You feel good,” he hissed.

“Mmm... you do too...” she moaned, kissing his shoulder and stroking his back. Her hips rolled and ground against his in a deep, slow, delicious fuck. “You know what else feels good though?”

Jasper growled as he felt Annabelle bite his shoulder very, very lightly. She did not break the skin, but he felt her fangs. He growled again, clutching her a little tighter. He reached a hand to her head and tilted her neck. She smiled in anticipation.

“You are so... naughty,” he said darkly.

“Mmm... you love it though.”

Annabelle liked trying to push Jasper's boundaries. It was dangerous, but thrilling. She wondered what his Vitae would taste like, not that he would ever let her drink from his flesh.

Jasper teased her a little, as she had teased him, scraping her skin with his teeth. He was listening for Annabelle to make another whimper. She did, keening needfully. She was rewarded with him sinking his fangs into her skin. Annabelle's every muscle tightened around him in pain. She gasped and hissed. Jasper's bite was hard, and he drunk deeply. Annabelle's warm, passionate Vitae flowed into him. Her hips continued to rock and grind against his, and as the pleasure rolled over her, her movements began to get more frantic.

Jasper growled possessively, holding onto Annabelle's back. He savoured every drop of her blood and every movement of her body against and around his. His body and his Beast were singing in perfect harmony. He swallowed once, twice, three times.

Annabelle's moans raised in pitch. She was getting close. Her vagina clenched powerfully around his cock.

Jasper pulled back. Annabelle sighed and whimpered. She gradually relaxed around him as Jasper licked a few escaping drops of Vitae as they oozed slowly from her wound.

“Do I still taste good?” she asked, moving slowly against him. Her head was swimming with lust and blood loss.

“Always,” he murmured with a light snarl in her ear.

Annabelle shivered again.

Jasper thought for a second, then caught a drop from her neck on his finger. He brought it up to her lips. He knew she had tasted her own Vitae before. This shouldn’t risk her getting addicted. Annabelle wrapped her soft lips around his finger and sucked and licked it clean. She moaned faintly.

“Good?” he inquired.

“Mm-hmm...” she nodded. He withdrew his finger and went back to licking drips as she continued to roll and grind her hips against him.

Jasper closed his lips around his bite mark again and drank a few more swallows. Annabelle moaned louder and tightened around him. He combined this with some slight upward thrusting. She started to tremble in orgasm, breathing hard and whimpering.

“ _God, yes, yes, yes…_!”

Jasper licked her wound closed and held her close as she came down from her high. They continued to grind against each other, bringing and receiving slow, constant pleasure. It was tender and loving and the most intimate they had been with each other for a while. They breathed hard, almost in unison. Annabelle nuzzled Jasper's neck and ear, he rested his head against her shoulder. They moved together fluidly.

Minutes passed, and Jasper slowed. “You feel so good, but... I think I need to move.”

“Mmm...” Annabelle sighed, rolling her hips a little. “Too slow?”

“Slow is good,” he said, kissing her shoulder and the site of his most recent bite. Annabelle shivered. “But now I want to give it to you... hard,” he growled in her ear.

“Mmm! Yes,” Annabelle agreed. She gave him a final long, lingering kiss, then carefully moved off his lap and away. “How do you want me?”

“On your hands and knees,” he said darkly.

They shifted. Jasper stood at the side of the bed and pulled Annabelle close to him. She assumed the traditional doggy position in front of him. Jasper's hands stroked her back and ass, then gripped her hips firmly. He thrust against her, dragging his already slick cock along her sex. Annabelle grabbed a pillow in preparation to clutch and scream into it.

Jasper gave her a few more exploratory jabs, then slid firmly back inside her. Annabelle moaned.

“Oh, _God_... Jasper...”

He growled happily. He liked her moaning his name like that. His fingers dug into her hips as he started to pound in and out of her.

“Fuck... _yes_...!” Annabelle said into her pillow. He was fucking her hard enough to push her onto her elbows and she loved it.

She all but screamed when Jasper reached around and started to rub her clit again. Over-stimulated as she was from their slower lovemaking earlier, she could quickly feel another orgasm incoming. Jasper and Annabelle's hips slapped together loudly. Annabelle moaned with each thrust, swearing or shouting encouragement into her pillow. Jasper fucked and rubbed her until he felt her vagina spasm around him again. Annabelle's legs trembled and she writhed. He held onto her hips to keep her from escaping and pounded her hard and fast through her orgasm.

He reached down to grab her shoulder for extra leverage as he neared his own climax. It didn't take long. He grunted and pressed himself deep inside her, baring his teeth. Annabelle trembled again, whining faintly.

Jasper kissed Annabelle's spine as he pulled back and away, spent. Annabelle collapsed onto her side. He pulled her around to lay properly in the bed with the pillows and snuggled in next to her, spooning her warm body. Annabelle sighed in her afterglow, content and in love.

“They can't stop us being in love,” she mumbled sleepily. Jasper had his arm around her and she snuggled it close, between her breasts.

“No, they can't,” he agreed, kissing her shoulder, “and they're not going to.”

“Tomorrow... I'm going to feed, and then we're going to go back and talk to them.”

“Yes.”

“And... what will they do if they're still... like that?”

“If they are still violent or too argumentative?”

“Yeah.”

Jasper sighed softly. “If they insist on trying to tell us we can't keep doing what we're doing, then that might be the end of the coterie,” he said, matter of factly. “It's safe to assume I'm going to choose you over them, any time.”

“That's still sad though. I don't want the coterie to end.”

“It might not come to that. Victor and Nelli are probably talking about us right now. They know that we're not breaking any laws, just social taboos. One way or another... things will be okay, Annabelle.”

“I hope so,” she sighed, tired.

“Sleep,” he urged her gently. “It will be okay.”

Jasper slipped away to turn off the candles and make sure everything was shut and secure. Annabelle was dead to the world when he came back. He tucked her into her favourite blanket that she had squirreled away in his room and settled in beside her for his own rest.

The sun rose. It was a new day.

For some, it was a busy day.

For three ghouls on a secret rescue mission, it was a very busy day, indeed.


	2. Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A calm, adult conversation, but Nelli has news for Jasper that will change everything.

Annabelle didn't want to get out of bed the next evening. She was still feeling very grumpy about the events of the night previous and the fight she and Jasper had with Victor and Nelli. She rolled over in bed and snuggled close to Jasper, who wrapped a lazy arm around her. He didn't want to get up either.

Annabelle's Beast grumbled at her, which didn't improve her mood at all.

They didn't say anything to each other. They didn't feel the need to.

Annabelle's phone buzzed with an incoming call. She groaned and hesitated in answering it, but she rolled over to check who it was.

“Ugh, it's Victor,” she sighed. She answered it. Jasper remained relaxed in bed, but paid attention to Annabelle's half of the call.

“Hello? Yeah.... yes,” Annabelle sighed again heavily. She ran a hand through her hair, which badly needed a brush. “Yes, I agree we should talk today, but no weapons and no like, other super powers. We need to sit down and talk like adults with calm, clear heads.” She listened to Victor speak for a few seconds and gave Jasper a look. “Actually... I'm at Jasper's right now.... Yep, sure did!” She gave Jasper a wicked little smile as she confirmed to Victor that she had happily spent the day sleeping with Jasper. He reached out to her and she took his hand. “Sure, that works. See you then. Um... also, I'm going to need something to eat before we start... thanks. Yes... yes, thank you. Bye.” She hung up and sighed again.

“So…” she said, snuggling back into Jasper's embrace, “Victor is going to send a car to pick us up and take us to the club. It's going to be here in twenty minutes.”

Jasper groaned and hissed in irritation, baring his fangs.

“I know, I know, I don't want to go either,” Annabelle said, nuzzling him. “But we've got to talk to them about this. We're still in the middle of this... conflict with the Ivory Tower and everything. We need each other. We need them.”

“Before I met you,” Jasper mused out loud. “I had _so_ many secrets. I was a... well, not _happy_ necessarily, but I was a content Nosferatu, exploring my labyrinth and _keeping_ all my secrets. But now...”

“But now,” Annabelle finished for him, “you share your bed with a pretty girl...” she started to trail kisses up his chest towards his face, “and you make that girl happy every night you’re with her, and you are fighting to keep your labyrinth and the rest of your secrets safe.” She ended her kisses on the tip of his nose, which Jasper wrinkled. He held her tight. Their bodies had lost their warmth during the day, but she was was still firm, tender and loving against him.

“True,” Jasper admitted.

“So what's better, keeping secrets, or sharing them?” Annabelle asked.

Jasper grunted in discomfort. “That's a painful debate for any Nosferatu.”

Annabelle kissed him again. “While you're debating, we should get dressed. We can't show up naked. We don't want Nelli to have an aneurysm.”

“We don't?” Jasper blinked in mock innocence.

Annabelle shrugged with a little giggle and rolled out of bed.

* * *

Neither of them said much to the driver whom Victor sent over. Annabelle fidgeted the entire way, pulling on the cloth and leather bracelet Jasper had made for her. She was getting more and more nervous as they got closer to the club. Jasper could feel it. He reached over and took Annabelle's hand, stopping her fidgeting. She looked at him and gave him a nervous little smile. He smiled with more reassurance and gave her hand a squeeze.

Annabelle and Jasper held hands as they entered Club Maharahni together. This was a weeknight, and it would not be open to customers until the weekend. Victor and Nelli were already there, waiting for them in Nelli's office. They saw Jasper and Annabelle presenting a subtle united front.

“Good evening,” Victor said formally.

“Good evening, Victor, Nelli,” Annabelle said, nodding to each of them. “How are you?”

“Good, yeah, pretty good.”

“Sleep well?” Annabelle asked.

Victor nodded slowly. “Fairly well, yes. We had a lot of thinking to do.”

“Yeah, same,” Annabelle said.

“How about you, Jasper... are you good?” Victor rubbed his own throat, non-verbally asking about the minor cut Nelli had given him last night.

Jasper nodded curtly, once. “I'm fine.”

“Annabelle, you mentioned needing to eat before we begin?” Victor asked.

“Oh, yes, please,” she said as her Beast churned inside her.

“Well... help yourself,” Victor gestured to the door and the waiting security guards, who were all used to this routine.

Annabelle thanked Victor and went to find one of her favourites to feed from.

Jasper, Nelli and Victor remained in the office. A very awkward tension settled between them.

Victor looked at Jasper, feeling the pressure to be a good host. “Are you, um...?”

“No, thank you. I'm not hungry. At least... not hungry enough to bother.”

Nelli narrowed her eyes at him from behind her large, dark glasses. “Did you feed from her last night? Is that why she’s hungry now and you’re not?”

Jasper didn't say anything in response. He just grinned at Nelli, showing his fangs. Part of him wanted to tell her that yes he had, and of the intimate and erotic circumstances surrounding the bite, but he decided that the grin was enough. It still unsettled her. Nelli tapped the arm of her chair in irritation. Her spiked finger jewellery clinked against the wood.

Annabelle came back into the room and sat down beside Jasper.

“Thank you, Victor,” she said.

“You good now?” he double-checked.

“Yep.”

“Good, so... first-”

“Before we do any talking, Victor,” Jasper interrupted, “we were promised no weapons.”

“Right. Um...” Victor glanced at Nelli along with the others. Nelli took off her glasses with a cool, aloof air.

“I'm unarmed,” she said.

“Prove it,” Jasper demanded.

She glared at him. “Are you going to frisk me, Jasper?”

He grinned again with a slight threatening snarl. “You couldn’t _pay_ me to-”

“Okay, okay,” Victor cut in, stopping another fight before it broke out. “We're all here for calm, adult discussion, remember? So... Nelli, please show them you're not armed.” Victor stood and opened his suit jacket. “See, I'm not armed either.” He gestured at the rest of them.

Annabelle sighed and put the stake she tended to carry with her ever since the night at the Grove on Nelli's desk. Victor nodded his thanks. Jasper took out his knife, the big one he always carried, he put it on the desk as well. Nelli stood and turned around in a slow circle with her hands in the air to show them she didn't have any knives, then sat back down.

“Okay, thank you everyone,” Victor said. He called Campbell in to hold onto Jasper and Annabelle's things for the time being, which Jasper didn't look thrilled about, but didn't argue. He caught Annabelle looking at him with an expression of mild concern. She knew he still had a knife on him. She had given him a Swiss Army knife the same night he had given her the bracelet, and he hadn't surrendered it. He gave her a tiny, secret smile. He had no intention of surrendering it if they weren't going to frisk him.

“Now... can we get down to it?” Victor asked.

Annabelle's attention went back to him and Nelli. “Yes, let's. Um... I think we should begin with an apology.” She looked very pointedly at Nelli.

Nelli met Annabelle's gaze, but was also the first one to look away. She cleared her throat. “Yes, you're right. Last night I behaved... very rudely. I'm sorry.”

Annabelle's mouth quirked up into a smile. Jasper's didn't.

“I'm sorry I threatened to hurt you, Nelli. You know I normally never would. It's just... I was very upset,” Annabelle said to her.

Nelli nodded. “I understand. It's alright.”

“Nelli and I had a long talk last night after you left, as I'm sure the two of you did,” Victor said with a little sigh. He was picking his words very carefully and had obviously thought very hard about what it was he was going to say. “You made some really good points, but... Nelli and I were charged with looking after you, Annabelle, and we just want to make sure that... the two of you are safe.”

“We know about the dangers,” Annabelle assured him. “We are always very careful. We have rules.”

“What are your rules?” Victor asked.

Annabelle glanced at Jasper, who was sitting quietly. She wondered if he was going to say anything, but he didn't. “We make sure I'm not too hungry before we... do anything,” Annabelle explained to Victor and Nelli. “And we have safe words.”

They looked mildly surprised at that. “Have you ever had to... use them?”

Annabelle wanted to say 'no,' but that would have been a lie. “Kind of. There are levels, like a stoplight. If we need to slow down, I say 'yellow.' I've never had to say 'red.'”

“I see,” Victor said, “and you _do_ have a Blood Bond?”

“Yes,” Jasper confirmed. He was very aware of how his blood was pulling towards Annabelle at that moment. Annabelle nodded.

“And you're okay with that?” Victor asked him with mild surprise.

“Yes,” Jasper said again.

“Why? Explain to me again, please, because I might have missed it last night with all the shouting, but... that just seems... like a bad decision.” Victor shook his head.

“Because I trust her,” Jasper said simply. “We all know what my feeding habits are, and I run the risk of Blood Bonds all the time, or I used to, before Annabelle and I started our relationship. My Blood Bond with her prevents me from being bonded to anyone else. Annabelle... is not perfect, and has made a few bad decisions, but her soul is not _nearly_ as tainted as the rest of us, and I know she will never ask me to hurt or kill anyone, or do any of the other horrible things I've heard of regents asking their thralls to do.” He looked at Nelli, who met his gaze steadily. He knew she would know first hand about some of the horrors of Blood Bonding in the Camarilla. She tapped her fingers against the arm of her chair again.

“And I trust him not to kill me,” Annabelle added, “and as we've already said last night, _every single drop_ of my blood has been given with consent. We... Jasper and I love each other. We've been through a lot these past few months, and yeah... we're in love.”

“Blood Bonds can feel like love, Annabelle,” Nelli said softly, “but it's not _real_ love.”

Annabelle frowned deeply at that. “You two love each other, right? Victor, I’ve heard you say it at least a dozen times. Why is my love for Jasper and him for me any different?” Annabelle asked.

“Because we don’t drink each other’s blood,” Victor answered in slightly strained patience.

“Annabelle doesn’t drink my blood,” Jasper said.

“Right,” Annabelle agreed, “and besides, would you rather he stalk the night for prey like an animal, or terrify your staff? I think they’re under enough stress as it is.”

“Or I can keep someone in a cage against their will again,” Jasper suggested in an almost casual tone. He tapped his long fingers on the arm of his chair, deliberately mimicking Nelli. “That went over _so well_ with all of you.”

Victor and Nelli shared a look. It was clear that these were things they were only now considering. They didn’t know how hard it could be for Kindred like Jasper to feed and not lose his soul in the process.

“Okay, that's fair,” Victor consented. “I suppose... you do have to feed from _someone_ and... having blood _given_ rather than having to steal it is in many ways, better.” They all understood what he was talking about. They all had their different methods of feeding, but they all knew that things were so much cleaner and easier when the individual being fed upon was content to allow it to happen.

Both Jasper and Annabelle nodded.

“ _Exactly_ ,” Annabelle stressed. “And... by the way, Nelli, our love sure feels _real_ to me. Jasper's opened up a lot to me, even before he had drunk enough to form a Blood Bond. It might not be... the love to end all loves, but it _is_ love all the same. He's... killed to protect me, he took a sunbeam for me. What is that if not love?”

Nelli frowned, considering. She could see the truth in what Annabelle was saying. She kept the rest of her doubts to herself. “Alright, alright.”

“You make each other happy?” Victor asked, with a little knowing smile.

Annabelle bit her lip and Jasper smirked. Annabelle's face would have flushed in other circumstances. “Yes, we do,” she said.

“Hey, I'm happy for you!” Victor said with a smile. “Nelli and I both are. We have no issue with you two dating. It's sweet, and, you know...” he gestured to Annabelle, “we know you've been lonely without Mark and Elle... and Jasper, you've been... lonely too, so it's sweet that you two have found each other. It really is. It's just... the blood drinking that we don't like.”

“It's taboo,” Nelli added.

Jasper gave Annabelle a little smirk. This was what he had been telling her.

“Nelli,” Annabelle said flatly. “Surely you, of all Kindred...”

“I know, I know,” Nelli said defensively, “but that doesn't make it okay!”

“I feed from consenting humans, and Jasper feeds from a consenting vampire,” Annabelle said. “If we could find another vampire who didn't mind it... maybe they could help... but neither of you have volunteered anything, so...” Annabelle shrugged. “This is where we're at.”

“Not that I would necessarily want your Vitae,” Jasper said to Victor and Nelli, “from either of you.”

“Hey, there is nothing wrong with our Vitae, man,” Victor said, mock defensive.

Jasper smirked.

“But yeah... no, I get it, I get it, _but_...” Victor sighed again. He shook his head at his final hangup about the situation.“It's just... that risk of Diablorie I'm worried about.”

“You risk killing people all the time,” Jasper pointed out. “I've seen both of you kill while feeding before.”

“That's why we're worried about _you_ doing it,” Nelli said to him, her voice hard. “You're not immune, Jasper.”

“I never said I was,” he argued, “but as I've said, if I ever do kill Annabelle by accident, and it _would_ only ever be by accident, that would be the end of me too. I'll willingly sit outside and wait for the sunrise.”

“That's... stupid and overly dramatic,” Nelli said.

“People do stupid and overly dramatic things when they're in love,” Jasper countered.

Annabelle bit her lip. “But... it's never going to come to that because Jasper's always been careful and he always will be.”

“There's always that risk, Annabelle, that his Beast will take over,” Nelli said.

“I know, but... it hasn't yet.”

“I'm not going to claim that I have total control over my Beast,” Jasper said, “but... I have a lot more willpower than I think you two think I do.” He looked from Nelli to Victor and back again. “Annabelle trusts me, and it's her life on the line. Unless you two are going to somehow _force_ us to stop, Annabelle and I are going to keep doing this for as long as we want to, barring any... unforeseen circumstances.” His gaze landed on Annabelle, who smiled warmly at him.

“Yeah,” she agreed.

Nelli bit her lip. Part of her was genuinely happy for Jasper and Annabelle, blood drinking aside. But she was in the knowledge of something that was going to throw a wrench into their relationship. She could keep it to herself, but she feared that would ultimately do more harm than good in the long run.

“Well,” Victor said with a little smile. “I mean, I guess you're right. We've all got to trust each other.”

Annabelle nodded with another smile for Victor. He seemed to be coming around. She looked to Nelli. “Nelli... what do you think?”

She shook her head a little. “I don't approve of the blood drinking, but I'm not going to stop you from doing it. Just know that... Jasper, if you don't follow through on being burned by the sun, I will hunt you down and cut your head off.”

“Fair,” Jasper said with a slight nod.

And with that, the air seemed to clear. Both Annabelle and Jasper knew that the others were never going to be a hundred percent okay with their relationship, but it looked like a peace had been reached.

“Jasper, can I talk to you privately for a second, please?” Nelli asked.

They all looked at her oddly and with a degree of weariness. What more could there be to say?

“It's important, but... it should be private,” Nelli stressed. “You'll want it to be private, I think.”

“Okay...” Jasper said, suspicious about what she could possibly want to talk to him alone about. He suspected it was some kind of additional warning about Diablerie. He stepped out of the room with Nelli.

Annabelle looked to Victor. “Should we be worried?”

He shook his head at her. “Nah. I'm sure it's fine.”

Meanwhile, Nelli was trying to figure out how to phrase what she was going to say to Jasper without him getting too upset. She had seen how he reacted to any comment or mention about this particular person from his former life, but she knew this was something he had to know about. He had been very seriously hurt helping her save her sister. This was the least she could do.

“So... what's so important?” he asked.

Nelli decided that metaphorically ripping off the band-aid was better then peeling it slowly. “Jasper, I'm sorry, I know you and Annabelle have just said that you're happy and in love but... It's... this is about Chloe,” she said.

Jasper froze in surprise and anger. It was the last thing he had expected Nelli to say. He understood now why she had requested their privacy, and he was glad despite his shock. It was the reaction she had been expecting.

“What?” he snapped.

“Let me explain.”

“Explain,” he growled through gritted fangs.

“Gregory has informed me that Chloe is in trouble,” she said, trying to get everything out before he blew up at her. “She was captured by the F.B.I. group he used to work for. I asked him to get her out of there, to save her, and he has, but she's sick.”

Jasper felt like there was a hole in his stomach and his heart had fallen out through it. He couldn’t believe it, but there was nothing in Nelli's face to indicate she was joking at all, and he knew she wasn't that good of an actress. There was a reason she went into fashion instead of theatre.“What do you mean, 'sick'?”

“I mean they did something to her and she's sick, or drugged or something. I don't know.”

“How... why did the inquisition take her?” Jasper asked, but he thought that he already knew the answer. It was because of him and that stupid note he had given her at Thanksgiving.

“She was with Fiona.”

“Who?”

“She's a Ventrue. She's the new Baron. Isaac and the others gave her some of the Valley.”

“Oh, yeah, her.” Jasper remembered Victor being very upset about that, which Jasper could understand in a distant, 'not my problem' kind of way. “Why was Chloe with...? Oh, shit.” There were a few very obvious reasons why Chloe would be with Fiona, and he didn't like the thought of any of them.

“Fiona found Chloe some time ago, I don't know how and I don't know how long ago, and she made her into a ghoul.”

Jasper closed his eyes. His hands balled into tight fists. Inside him, his Beast clawed and growled.

It wasn't his absolute worst nightmare, but it was close.

“Where is she now?” Jasper asked slowly. He opened his eyes and forced himself to speak calmly. “Where is Chloe now?”

“With Fiona. I can give you an address. Jasper... I only ask one thing, please.”

“What?”

“Please don't kill Fiona.”

Jasper ground his teeth together. His fangs dug into his lower lip. Fiona had dared to turn Chloe, _his_ Chloe, into a ghoul. He wanted to rip her wealthy, snobbish Ventrue head from her shoulders and drain her dry.

“She's a Baron of Los Angeles,” Nelli reminded him. “We need her for the Anarchs.”

Jasper sighed a long and angry sigh. Nelli had a point. He had to remember the bigger picture. There were more things going on in the city than his personal dramas, although those did seem to be mounting in recent nights. “Fine. I won't kill her.”

“Thank you.” Nelli wrote down the address and gave it to Jasper. “I'm sorry,” she said with genuine sympathy. “I know what it's like to have people you care about in trouble because of things you've done and choices you've made.”

Jasper put the address in his pocket. “Thank you, Nelli, for letting me know,” he said quietly.

“And I'm sorry again about pulling a knife on you last night. My...” she looked away and licked her lips. She didn't like to talk about losing control of her Beast any more than the rest of them did. “I was not thinking clearly. My Beast was doing the thinking. I know you would never willingly hurt Annabelle, or any of us.”

Jasper smiled a little, without showing his teeth. He appreciated Nelli's apology and her telling him about Chloe.

“You seemed happier these past few weeks, despite all the stress of the war and everything. Annabelle too. We all need to hold on to a little happiness in our lives,” Nelli added.

Jasper shook his head a little. “I can't hold onto happiness any more, not since I died and became... _this,_ ” he growled with a gesture to his face. He turned before Nelli could respond to that and went back into the room to see Annabelle. He had already decided that he couldn’t tell her about this right now, but he of course had to eventually. Time was of the essence at the moment.

“Annabelle, I'm sorry, but I have to go.”

Annabelle blinked in surprise. “Go? Where?”

“I'll explain later. I promise.”

“Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?”

His heart hurt with how much he cared about Annabelle, and with the knowledge that once again, things were never going to be completely the same with them. He hoped Annabelle would understand. Jasper knew that Chloe was in this mess because of the note he had written her. He was still human enough, deep down, to love her and to feel enormous guilt about that. He had to go, to do what he could to try to help. He was going to need some more help with this, though. Not from Annabelle, nor from Victor. Not yet, anyway. They were not healers, and that's what he thought Chloe might need right now. He only knew of one Kindred healer, and that was Eva.

“No, Annabelle, I'm sorry. I'm okay, but... I don't know when I'll be back. I'll text you.”

Annabelle hugged him tight. They touched foreheads. She didn't kiss him, not in front of Victor and Nelli, but he knew she wanted to. She realised that would make Jasper extremely uncomfortable, and was respecting that.

“Whatever you're doing, be safe, please,” she whispered.

“I will try.”

“And don't do anything stupid,” she added.

“... I can't promise that,” he admitted.

She smiled, amused but sad.

Jasper pulled out of the hug and gave the coterie a little wave. He collected his knife from Victor's security and left the club. He texted Eva as he went. He was going to owe her again for this, big time. If he had Blush of Life on, his heart would have been galloping.

He was going to see Chloe again, and more importantly, she was going to see him, for the first time in over five years.

“ _Please_ ,” Jasper pleaded to whatever spirit or deity that might be listening, “ _don't let Chloe scream when she sees my face_.”

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued in _The Twentieth Time_...


End file.
